Images

Well, not so great looking a bee specimen, so it goes sometimes when doing bee surveys where thousands of specimens are processed quickly under less than ideal conditions. However, there is a nice little story here. This bee was found by the National Park Service survey team George Washington's Home in Virginia.

The lovely groundnut, Apios americana. Has both edible beans and edible tubers and attempts have been made to create cultivars, but sadly this has not caught on despite some pretty awesome healthful characteristics. Look up the wikipedia writeup pilgrim. Photographed and collected by Helen Lowe Metzman in Howard County, Maryland.

Honey bee Head, Apis mellifera,Beltsville Maryland, oblique shot

Anthophora bomboides a large bumblebee looking male from Fossil Butte National Monument in Wyoming. This species occurs throughout the U.S. but shows enough variation on plumage and markings that one has to suspect that more than one species is involved (see the male from Maryland elsewhere in this photostream).

Maryland, Alleghany County

If you want a group of bees that generally present themselves well and look like bees not wasps choose the Digger Bee grouip. This male Anthophora californica was collected by Don Harvey in Hidalgo County, NM. Dryland area for sure and the distribution sits right in the dry areas of the West.

One of the few species in the genus Anthophora with a strong pollen preference. Its almost solely found on Boraginaceae, especially Alkanna and Anchusa.

One of the common species found in early spring in the olive groves and flower-rich phryganic habitats of Greece. Little is known about this species and some of its sibling species and there is a great deal of confusion regarding its identity. Collected by Jelle Devalez in the Aegean islands.

Compact small bee want to meet compact small flowers. Anthophora flexipes is definitely cute, though, of course, we can let that shade its importance as a pollinator in the high lands of Yosemite National Park.

The male of a relatively new introduced species from Japan. Likes to nest in adobe walls of buildings and underneath decks. Photoshopping by Thistle Droege and Photography by Brooke Alexander.

Unknown Cerambycid beetle, from Laurel Maryland collected in June by Francisco Posada

You probably have this problem. You get a specimen in, but it covered in gunk and its hairs are all matted. What do you do? Well, I think we have finally figured it out. Here is a specimen of Bombus rufocinctus caught by the state of Pennsylvania in some kind of dry trap, covered in moth scales and gook. Then, it gets a new look at the USGS BEEauty salon.

Here is a lovely black and red seed. Photographed on the cut tip of a pin. Sadly, I do not have a record of the seed's name, so any help with this distinct specimen would be appreciated. This seed came from a 100 year old collection of seeds used as reference by the old Bureau of Biological Survey.

Agrotis ipsilon - Black Cutworm - Another major crop pest. This species moves into northern parts of North America after overwintering in Texas and Mexico and then pulls off a couple of generations in weedy fields and particularly impacting newly planted corn. Yet another pest that looks rather beautiful when viewed up close.

Jessica Zelt found this small Blue-gray Gnatcatcher nest from the previous season on the ground at the Beltsville Agriculture Research Center a few days ago. How beautifully made of lichens, hair and spiderwebs. Photograph by Hannah Sutton. 100mm Canon used, with Zerene Stacking software.

A very large Chrysidid Wasp from Kruger National Park, species unknown, Anders Croft photographer.

Found in a bowl trap at Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, this is Bolbocerosoma tumefactum, a rather handsome dung beetle that doesn't eat dung.

Still Here. I think this is big news and a big deal. T'ai Roulston and his identification triggerman Skyler Burrows stopped by the lab this week to work on some tricky bee ids and brought this Bombus affinis in from Sky Meadows State Park at the edge of the Blue Ridge in N. Virginia to have its picture taken.

What a lovely female Anthidium manicatum from Massachusetts. This species is a non-native species that has successfully invaded much of the Eastern parts of North America, in particular it is fond of ornamental gardens containing furry leaved plants which it uses to line its nest.

A gynandromorph is a bee that exhibits characteristics of both sexes. In the other two species (Lasioglossum and Bombus) the split was bilateral..one side male and the other, female. In this Anthidium oblongatum (an introduced species) almost the entire bee is female with the apparent exception of having a seventh abdominal segment and genitalia.

Antidium porterae....we recently uploaded somem pictures of the male and here, now, is the female. Collected in Hildalgo County, NM by an A. Melin. Note on the side shot the belly full of pollen attached to the pollen collecting hairs located there.